1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sterilization/deodorization gas supply method, and an apparatus therefor, for easily and safely supplying as gas, liquid or gel chemicals which are used for sterilization or deodorization or as an insecticide.
2. Related Arts
Various types of bactericides, deodorants and insecticides are in use today. When these chemicals are administered for sterilization or deodorization, or as an insecticide, a sprayer or an atomizer is employed to dispense them undiluted, or as dilute solutions or powders.
When such chemicals are administered in this fashion, the sprayer or the atomizer which is used must be filled specially, and a certain amount of physical labor is required to load the device. Therefore, when a dispensing device is being filled with a chemical, the possibility exists that the person performing the work may be injured, especially if the chemical is one for which use is limited because of its residual toxicity. For this and other reasons, there is a demand for a method and an apparatus with which sterilization/deodorization and the application of an insecticide can be safely and easily performed.
For sterilization or deodorization, there are in addition a number of chemical compounds which can be used; for example, chemical compounds containing aromatic substances which neutralize bad odors, or chemical compounds containing adsorbents, such as active carbon, activated clay and silica gel, which absorb or neutralize bad odors. However, since such adsorbents or neutralizers have expiration periods, the effects provided by these chemical compounds gradually decline. In addition, the chemical compounds can not be relied on to provide precise sterilization effects.
Therefore, a method which involves the evaporation of a stabilized chlorine dioxide (ClO2) solution is widely employed at medical facilities for bedding, clothing, patient rooms, and ambulances. It is also well known that stabilized chlorine dioxide has a bleaching function, and for this reason it is employed in many manufacturing processes. However, since high density chlorine dioxide of industrial strength is a strong oxidizer, when it is used it may react with other materials and generate a high concentration of life threatening chlorine gas. And since with chlorine dioxide there is also the danger of explosion, a 5% solution of stabilized chlorine dioxide, such as is produced by International Dioxide Inc., is provided as a less dangerous and easier to handle chlorine dioxide solution, which when employed is diluted as needed for the application.
While a chlorine dioxide gas obtained by the vaporization of a stabilized chlorine dioxide solution does not have a sharp and pungent odor and is safe to handle, when applied to objects it is a very effective agent for sterilization, deodorization and disinfection. Superior effects, achieved over a short period of time, can be obtained with chlorine dioxide gas when it is used to destroy or prevent the growth of various types of bacteria, mold and other disease-carrying microorganisms. Further, its deodorization capabilities are also pronounced, and odors, especially those produced by chemical materials and by putrefaction, which accompanies the propagation of microorganisms, can be prevented.
Since the stabilized chlorine dioxide which has the above superior characteristics is normally provided as an aqueous solution, the delivery, the handling and the resupply of this solution must be performed very carefully, and the apparatus which is used for the vaporization process is complicated. While the stabilized chlorine dioxide solution may be employed as a powder or as particles, by using zeolite, a porous material, to absorb it, these forms are not appropriate when chlorine dioxide is stably discharged for an extended period of time. Further, since an alkali generator must also be used as an activator, the use of chlorine dioxide is limited.
To resolve the above shortcomings, the present applicant proposed an apparatus wherein to produce a gas which is to be dispersed, heat is applied to a gelled chemicals which can be handled safely (Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 10-76467). However, the apparatus employed to supply the needed heat consumes a great deal of power, and therefore, depending on the application, there may be a demand for an apparatus that does not employ a heater.
The present invention is provided to resolve the above shortcomings, especially by focusing on a chlorine dioxide gas that can effectively perform the sterilization and deodorization functions. It is, therefore, one objective of the present invention to provide a sterilization/deodorization gas supply method whereby the chemical reactive, propagative effects of ultraviolet radiation are employed to easily and safely store, handle and supplement the supply of a sterilization/deodorization gas, and an apparatus therefor.
To achieve the above objective, according to the present invention, provided is a method whereby a sterilization/deodorization gas is supplied by irradiating a stabilized chlorine dioxide gel or liquid with ultraviolet radiation. In this invention, the stabilized chlorine dioxide gel or liquid which is to be exposed to ultraviolet radiation is generally.stored in a chemical container. The ultraviolet radiation may also be projected onto zeolite, for example, a porous material which has absorbed or been impregnated with a stabilized chlorine dioxide solution.
Further, according to the present invention, as is shown in FIG. 1 a sterilization/deodorization gas supply apparatus comprises:
a chemical container 10 used to retain a chemical gel or liquid that functions as a sterilizer, an insecticide, an insectifuge or a deodorant;
ultraviolet radiation means 20 for projecting ultraviolet radiation onto the chemical gel or liquid in the chemical container 10; and
a gas discharge unit 30 for extracting from the chemical container 10 gas elements, produced by the ultraviolet radiation means 20, which are to be dispersed.
Generally, the chemical is a stabilized chlorine dioxide gel or liquid. Since the chlorine dioxide gas, which is supplied performs sterilization and deodorization effectively, the objective of the present invention can be achieved. In the following explanation, therefore, stabilized chlorine dioxide is employed as the chemical according to the present invention, and the stabilized chlorine dioxide container 10 is employed as the chemical container.
The irradiation source provided for the ultraviolet radiation means 20 can be a fluorescent chemical lamp wherein, instead of a fluorescent material for visible light, a fluorescent material is provided on the inner wall of a mercury-vapor discharge tube, which has the same structure as that of a fluorescent lamp used for illumination and which generates a large amount of ultraviolet elements.
In addition, according to the present invention, when the amount of ultraviolet radiation produced by the ultraviolet radiation means 20 is adjusted as needed, the chemical reactive, propagative effects of the ultraviolet radiation can be adjusted and the amount of gas which is dispersed can be controlled. The amount of ultraviolet radiation can also be adjusted by controlling the discharge of an ultraviolet radiation lamp, or by providing a filter or a partial shutter along a radiation route.
According to the present invention, the sterilization/deodorization gas can be easily and safely supplied, and the apparatus which is employed for this purpose is very simple and safe. Further, since instead of a mist a stabilized chlorine dioxide gas of an adequate density is obtained by vaporizing a chlorine dioxide gel or liquid and is projected onto an object to be sterilized and deodorized, the gas can fully permeate the object, and its sterilization and deodorization effects can be clearly demonstrated. And as a result, since no residual chlorine dioxide elements are deposited in the object, no corrosion of the object will occur.
The sterilization/deodorization gas discharged by the gas supply method and apparatus of the present invention is released through a bag or a box made of an air-tight material, or a plastic cover, or projected directly onto medical waste, bedding, mattresses, clothing and footwear. In addition, the sterilization/deodorization gas can be released into a specific space, such as a food producing/processing facility, represented here by a flour mill, a ward or the interior of an ambulance. Furthermore, to prevent bedsores, the sterilization/deodorization gas of the present invention can be projected onto bedding, such as cloth or air mattresses.
According to the present invention, an ozone generator, which will increase the effectiveness of the sterilization process, can also be provided near the gas discharge port of the gas discharge unit 30. In addition, according to the present invention, provided is a sterilization/deodorization system that comprises absorption means, for absorbing stabilized chlorine dioxide elements in the exhaust of the sterilization/deodorization gas that has been supplied by the apparatus and has passed through an object to be sterilized and deodorized. With this arrangement, no chlorine dioxide elements are discharged externally, and the release of air pollutants is prevented.